NBA Live 2004

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Ten-man mo-cap makes all the difference.

By Jon Robinson

When videogame companies bring in athletes for motion-capture sessions, most of the time it's one guy and a ball, pulling off a signature move or two and then heading back to the limo to bounce before lunch. Translating this footage into a game then makes for disjointed animations and teamwork that looks nothing like an actual team.

To rectify this situation, the producers of NBA Live actually brought in ten ballers to run the floor in five-on-five full court action. The results change more than the look and feel of the game. Everything from driving the ball to the hole to players setting picks to defensive players double-teaming the ball down low is affected. Every player is active. Every player reacts to the play. And every player not only looks the part, he's constantly watching the ball and looking for his next turn to strike.

What this means is that defense finally matters in an NBA videogame. If NBA Live 2003 was all about freestyle control and offensive run-and-gun, then 2004 will be know for its big D. No longer can a guard simply dribble through a defender and drive to the hoop without a challenge. In 2004, not only do the computer defenders help out on defense by trying to put a body on the ball, this year defenders can also block both dunks and layups. For once, gamers might actually want to play as Detroit as players like Ben Wallace finally have value beyond the occasional slam dunk. In fact, all teams will actually play more like their real-life counterparts and not simply run up and down the floor looking for the next throw down. A team like Detroit will play you physical while a team like Dallas might not smack you upside the head if you dribble past, but will definitely gamble on passes by playing the lanes and trying to pick the rock.

On offense, the biggest improvement is the addition of the "Pro Hop", the two-footed hop in the lane you see players like T-Mac use and abuse on the regular to slide between two defenders. As the defense collapses in the lane, this hop enables you to find an opening and bounce your way closer to the rim. But like I said, your dunk attempt will not go unchallenged as a defender from the weak side will slide across the baseline and try to block you from behind, or even worse, knock you silly and cause an injury.

That's right, player collisions are now costly to teams, as the motion-capture sessions were able to secure more footage of players bumping, grinding, and falling hard to the court. The advanced collisions will also enable you to go up for a shot, draw contact with a defender, then adjust your shot in the air to get the score.

There's still a lot to be learned about NBA Live 2004, from what they're doing with their dynasty mode to a few more secret features EA isn't ready to divulge just yet. But by the initial look, the game's already looking a lot more Spur-like than Cavalier, and that's especially thanks to the ten-man wrecking crew who got down and dirty in the black suits and ping pong balls.